does anyone know how to replace the opti on a 96 lt1??? i dropped the fans and took 4 bolts out of the water pump but i cant get it to budge... what am i forgetting?? thanks....

 

rubber hammer

 

There are 6 bolts for the waterpump, then you can try the rubber hammer.

 

might remove the radiator to get better access,also makes it a good time to take it to a rd shop and have cleaned

 

rad. shop

 

As D said, 6 bolts... You'll need to pull the rasd for clearance, and pull of the balancer as well.

 

You might want to pull the fans off (take them out the bottom), but pulling the radiator is not needed, IMHO. The first time I changed a water pump, I didn't even remove the fans, so it's not so cramped you can't do it. Get the two other bolts out of the pump and remove the pulley from the crank hub.

 

Yeah i never took the radiator out of mine to do it. Make sure you get those last two bolts out i made the same mistake with mine too and im glad i saw them before i brought the hammer out

PS make sure when you put the new opti on you line up the mark on the shaft with the dowl on the cam

 

You can pull the balancer/pully off it's hub. It's designed as a two piece balancer to help access the Opti.

 

I'm in the same process right now, got the pulley off, then it's 3 10mm bolts that are really easy to come off on the opti.

 

UUMMM, looking at that Shoe Box picture, you might want to get the belt off the pully before yanking it!

 

I would never try to do it w out pulling the rad. Its cramped enough anyway lol

 

Yeah, it was a picture made later to show how to use the puller. I guess it is time for a little Photoshop work.

 

And there are 3 more bolts that hold the opti then it just pulls off. Make sure you put it on the same way it came off or go to shbox.com on how to align it back on.

 

MMMMMM... optisparks!!

 

make sure you have ALL the coolant out of the waterpump before reinstalling it. DON'T get the new opti wet

 

There's absolutely no need to remove the radiator. It's an unnecessary step. There's tons of clearance once the cooling fans are out. Been removing water pumps for 10 years now, and never removed the radiator once.

Also, there are six bolts holding the water pump in. One on the driver side doubles as a stud for the AIR pump, so you will need to remove the AIR pump brackets as well.

There are two dowel pins that center the water pump to keep the geometry of the water pump drive correct. Many times the reluctancy for the pump to come off is because these pins are gunked up. A slight whacking with a rubber hammer is all it takes to bust it loose once the water pump bolts have been removed.

When you reinstall the pump, the bolts need to be cleaned thoroughly with a wire wheel and thread sealant applied to the threads.

 

I guess this is where we disagree Joe (god forbid) lol!

I do have a caveat for you though. I have an aftermarket underdrive / balancer that requires the use of a BIG 2 jaw or 3 jaw puller to remove.

Theres no way it would be possible to use the puller with the radiator in the car!

I have no choice but to pull it, but I love the extra room it gives you anyway, so I would regardless.

 

I didn't need a puller i just wiggled it back and forth

 

LOL no problem. I suppose that each setup requires different methods. When I used my old OEM hub and balancer, I used a 3-jaw puller that was fairly small and cleared the rad just fine.

If it works, it works!